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Very Large and Dangerous Avalanche Pattern

Portions of the Vail-Summit and Front Range zones have developed a Deep Persistent Slab avalanche problem. This means you can trigger very large and unsurvivable avalanches even though there are few signs of instability. Specific terrain features need to be avoided to stay safe. This situation will be with us for a while. This video summarizes the current situation.

A solo skier unintentionally triggered and was carried in an avalanche in the area locally known as the Fingers just west of the summit of Berthoud Pass. The avalanche was a soft slab avalanche and occurred on a northwest aspect near treeline. It was small relative to the path, but large enough to bury, injure, or kill a person. It ran within the old snow (SS-ASu-R2-D2-O). You can get more details here.

A backcountry snowboarder was caught and carried in an avalanche on a north through northeast-facing slope of Ptarmigan Hill near Vail Pass at around 2 PM on February 8, 2018. The snowboarder sustained injuries in the avalanche that were serious enough to require medical treatment at a hospital. You can view the full report here.